Reviews by WillWillows:

More User Reviews:

To my knowledge this is the first Hawaiian beer I have had,poured into a standard pint glass a clear lighter copper with a tight formed 1/2 white head that settled into a somewhat frothy mass.Very light aromas I did get a little spike of piney hop at bottle opening but it faded quickly to just a hint of tasted malt,very balanced pale here a big toasty cereal-like malt presence up front with a touch of caramel that melds into a piney-citric finish that lingers nicely.A balanced pale ale that is food friendly went well with a pizza with spicy sauce,not over the top flavor wise but very quaffable.

Appearance  This one is a light and translucent orange in color with a terrific, clingy head. It left tons of lacing as it settled in the glass.

Smell  Theres a big, malty base to this one that has some soft American grain and a decent hop balance.

Taste  The grain came on pretty strong at the taste, but the addition of some light caramel flavors helped smooth things out. The hops actually come on pretty well. They are light but show some good complexity. The citrus notes seem to dominate but theres a bit of pine as well.

Mouthfeel  This is big for the style, maybe medium-bodied, and very creamy. I thought that this was the ales strong point.

Drinkability  Its a bit on the malty side, so if you dont like that then stay away, but I really enjoyed this offering from the great state of Hawaii. It is very thick and creamy and went down in gulps.

A: A medium amber with excellent clarity. The cream off-white head settles to a thin cap but never going away, leaving light lacing on the glass.

S: Moderate malt and hop aroma having biscuit and caramel malt aromas with a citrus American hop character. The nose has a slight fruit ester. It's not as has hop forward as I'd like but it smells great. No Diacetyl.

T: Again it's no where as hoppy as most current examples but it absolutely sublime with a moderate bitterness and citrus hop flavor supported by a moderately-low malt sweetness. The malt shows notes of biscuit and very light caramel. The balance is what makes this beer so good, it somewhat favors the hops bitterness but the malt gets to have it's chance to shine as well. There is a light malt sweetness mid-way through but it resolves into a dry finish with a light lingering bitterness and slight malt taste.

M: medium bodied with a moderately-high level of carbonation, there is a pleasing moderate creaminess. No astringency.

O: A slightly hoppy fairly balanced beer that I could enjoy with a steak or a creamy comfort food meal or all on it's own, pint after delicious pint.

So what makes this different from other Pale Ales? It's "Hawaiian-style"--we're not sure what that means, but we know they bitter this ale with one of our favorite hops, "Galena," which is an old-school, high-alpha hop.

Good clarity with a stunning pale copper color. A couple rings of off-white lace left on the glass. Mild pungent oily hop aroma with an animal feed grain, hay and faint caramel aroma. Smooth with an oily slickness that buffs the medium body. Oily hop flavor lays a thick blanket to start things off, then the bitterness kicks in with a broad prickly character, and later with a more fresh mint and light citric tone. Kiss of mineral. The center is juicy with a clean fruitiness and caramel flavor. The finish wraps up with a hint of estery alcohol, toasted malt and drying grain.

Yeah, we can dig the whole "Hawaiian-style." Complex and drinkable, the hops and malt mesh very well together and show great balance. Great stuff, Kona!

I think this is my new session beer, and one of my new gateway beers to show newbies what's up. The pour was a nice burnt orange color with a slight haze to it. Head was nice and web like and stuck to the glass very well. The smell was kind of bland to me at first and surprised me a bit since I was expecting a more intense smell, but it hinted at the subtle flavor to come.

Something about the flavor of this beer is just irresistible. It has more in common with and english pale ale rather than and apa but it works perfectly. Up front are the toasted malts that give it a great slightly sweet and at the same time dry flavor, followed by a slight hop flavor and a perfect mouthfeel that makes you reach for another sip. I am not usually a fan of malt-up-front beers, but the fact that the malt in this one is not super sweet and cloying makes it perfect. Get out and try this one now, you will not be sorry!

12oz bottle picked up in St. Louis. Pours into my glass a deep hazy copper color with a fizzy half inch of white head on top. Aromas of caramel and roasted fruity malts upfront from this brew with a slight buttery undertone. I get some herbal, piney hops in the background but they end up being fairly subdued.

First sip brings a caramel, somewhat bready roasted malt upfront with fruity accents as well. It flows down bringing in a slight buttery flavor. As it finishes mellow herbal hops move in, but don't really stand out. Ends up being sweet overall, lacking the bitterness and hop flavor I would normally like with a pale ale.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth and creamy with solid carbonation. I really can't argue with the mouthfeel at all as it flows down easily. However, overall for me this pale ale didn't make the cut. It lacks the hop presence I would normally look for and the malts seem a bit muddled with the buttery aspect in there. I'll pass next time.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. There is a bottled on date on the label but it is hard to read, all I can make out is that it was brewed sometime in 2009. (Sampled on 6-11-09)

Appearance: The body has a deep amber color with good clarity and a small bright white head on top. The head fades down to just a small ring of foam which makes for some slick lacing on the glass.

Smell: Its aroma malty and sweet with just the slightest hint of hops.

Taste/Mouth: The flavor malty and sweet with caramel and sugary notes. The hops add some mild citrus notes and light bitterness for some balance. The finish is still a little bit on the sweet side with just a mild touch of hop bitterness. Its palate is smooth and medium bodied with mellow carbonation.

Hazy copper body is topped by a small beige head. Nice lacing. Subdued aroma features citrusy grapefruit, caramel, and a hint of pine. Medium body with strong carbonation. Taste is well balanced between the citrusy and pine hop bitterness and sweet caramel maltiness. A very drinkable American Pale Ale that, while not outstanding, is quite respectable.